1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to recyclable and remanufacturable goods, and more specifically to recyclable and remanufacturable microprocessor-based ink cartridges, employed as postal evidencing modules, and methods to recycle and remanufacture those components.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97
Historically, the popularity and frequency with which many recycling processes have been used has been a function of supply and demand, much like most commercial enterprises.
There are concrete accounts of recycling activities dating back to 400 BC.
Historically, the needs associated with wartime activities and economic need have brought about the development of many recycling technologies. For example, in almost every major war, armies melted metals from jewelry, coins and other sources to manufacture weapons and other war-useful products. Further, historical times of famine, epidemic and overwhelming natural disaster usually have translated into minimizing the amount of waste, which has ultimately led to new forms of recycling or refined existing modalities of re-using or recycling.
The advent of modern mass production initially reduced the incidence of recycling. The industrial revolution resulted in lower costs and higher volumes of manufactured goods. It was initially easier and cheaper to manufacture, use and throw away many products rather than attempting to recycle or remanufacture them. This was especially evident in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s, recycling efforts resurged with the advent and increased popularity of recycling centers. The so-called “environmental movement” and the concomitant public awareness of the environmental damage being caused by many manufacturing industries spearheaded that resurgence. Another obvious advantage of recycling, which in part motivated its resurgence in the 1970s, is that recycling of certain materials consumes less energy and is often less costly than virgin extraction and production. Such advantages apply across the board to the manufacture of everyday consumption products such as those based on plastic, glass, paper and many metals.
Today, recycling of many goods has become a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States alone. The emphasis on reuse of natural resources is stimulated by the environmental impact of what has been historically regarded as refuse. Recycling has evolved to become a standard practice in our society in the past 40 years, as evidenced by the many jurisdictions in the U.S. that have passed laws requiring the collection of reusable materials down to the individual, household level.
Recycling has evolved from the collection of basic waste materials such as paper, glass and plastic, to include materials and devices that contain harmful materials such as mercury and lead, or valuable content such as copper and cadmium. Recycling technology has evolved from hand sorting to employing sophisticated and dedicated, patented machinery to enable the safe handling or efficient reclamation of materials, objects and devices.
The recycling process can be enhanced when an object or device is engineered at the original design level with consideration of the eventual recycling of that object or device. That consideration allows efficiencies specific to recycling or remanufacturing to be designed into the product in anticipation of the product's use and its subsequent recycling or remanufacturing.
In general, the process of recycling an object can occur in three ways:
1. Deconstruction of the object to sort recyclable materials from waste. That process may lead to the reprocessing of some materials, such as plastics, for use in the manufacturing of dissimilar objects or devices. The present application will refer to that process hereinafter as “Destructive Recycling.”2. Deconstruction of the object or device to reclaim, reuse or repurpose components and other parts of ongoing value. The present application will refer to that process hereinafter as “Component Salvaging.”3. Reconditioning of the entire object or device for reuse for the same originally intended purpose. That step may or may not require deconstruction. The present application will refer to that process hereinafter as “Remanufacturing.”
The present invention is a postal evidencing module in which the structure, configuration of components and access to programming points considers its after-use recycling and remanufacturing. Postage meters are properly referred to as “postage evidencing systems.” A postage evidencing system is a device or system of components used to print evidence that postage required for mailing has been paid. In the US, postage evidencing systems use specialized United States Postal Service-approved fluorescent ink to prevent fraud and enable automated verification of valid postage.
The prior art ink modules for postage evidencing systems do not contain ink modules in which the structural features are so arranged as to provide the functionality that the present invention achieves. Specifically, none of the prior art modules are designed to be recyclable and at the same time comprising a reprogrammable microprocessor. The prior art references are capable of achieving the contrary purposes when compared with the module of the present invention. In fact, the prior art modules are specifically designed to provide the degree of security necessary to prevent Component Salvaging and Remanufacturing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,038 to Gilham, et al., discloses and claims the only microprocessor-based postal evidencing module of the prior art. The Gilham, et al., module, however, exemplifies the purpose of most modules in the sense that the device is designed to effectively inhibit both reuse of components and the remanufacture of the module. In short, the Gilham, et al., module represents the kind of device the module of the present invention is designed to replace.
The device disclosed by the Gilham, et al., U.S. patent achieves its purpose of preventing recycling and remanufacturing as follows:                1. The sealed module's housing must be cut open to determine the type and quantity of ink cartridges housed inside. This destructive process renders the module unfit for remanufacturing in an “as new” condition.        2. The microprocessor utilized in the module is proprietary and cannot be sourced as a replacement part; third parties cannot reprogram it or repurpose it for use in any other devices or applications.        3. The programming data applied to the microprocessor includes an “Install By” date. That feature of the Gilham, et al., module is mandated by the corresponding logic in the host machine with which the module communicates. If a user fails to employ the module before the “Install By” date, the module is irreversibly disabled and unusable. This results in conversion of the module to waste prior to any use, and a loss of investment to the user/purchaser.        
U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,072 to Hough claims a module comprising a circuit capable of self-destructing at the end of the device's life. Like the Gilham, et al., module the Hough module is specifically designed to prevent recycling and remanufacturing.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”) generally tend to design their products' components and assemblies with the goal of preventing third parties from repurposing or remanufacturing the products at the end of the products' life. Recently, some OEMs have become involved in destructive recycling efforts in order to conform to environmental pressure and expectations. Destructive recycling also serves the OEM by eliminating the original product entirely, thus denying third parties access to recoverable assemblies or components embodied in the products.
Significantly, some OEMs in fields unrelated to the present invention have sought and obtained patents for methods and processes to reuse end-of-life devices. That recent trend has resulted in standards for the patentability of devices and methods based on enhancing the recyclability and remanufacture of various products.